The Red Peak flag will now be added to the four flags for the first vote in November.
The Flag committee at first chose forty designs, then chose the four flags which will be on the voting papers.
However, many people were not happy with the four choices. They felt these four did not offer a wide choice because three of them had a fern on them. Only one had a different symbol – the koru. A campaign through social media showed there was a lot of support for the Red Peak flag
At first, the government did not want to listen; however, finally yesterday, a law was passed in Parliament to add the Red Peak flag. When we vote in November, we will choose from five flags. Then early next year, we will vote between the one chosen in November and the old flag.
Many people now want the old flag added to that November referendum to give us a choice of six. It would also mean that another referendum would not be necessary. Opinion polls seem to suggest that 70% of New Zealanders do not want to change the flag.
For more about the referendum to choose a new flag, listen to New flag choices
Vocabulary
• koru – traditional Maori design: spiral, shoot of a new plant e.g. a fern
• campaign – plan of action
• referendum – vote
• poll – informal vote, asking people’s opinions, often on the phone
Note: choice (n), choose, chose, chosen (v)
Questions
1. Was it a good idea for the Prime Minister to take notice of a social media campaign?
2. Does an opinion poll usually give the same result as a vote?
3. Do you think the first referendum should have asked us if we wanted to change the flag?
4. If we change the flag, should we change our national anthem also?
5. If we change our flag, does this mean we would like New Zealand to become a republic?